1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a tiltable steering for an industrial vehicle or the like and more specifically to an improved arrangement wherein the degree of tilt can be increased while decreasing the structural stress which is apt to occur in the arrangement.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Two previously proposed arrangements are shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, respectively. In the first of these (FIG. 1), a steering wheel 1 is mounted on the upper end of a steering column 2. At the lower end of the steering column is a power steering pressure control device and housing 3. Fixed to the housing in which the pressure control valve is disposed is a bracket 4 which is pivotally mounted at the lower end thereof on a stationary bracket 5 fixedly secured to a portion of the vehicle body 6. A second stationary bracket 7 is formed with an arcuate slot 8 therein. The center of curvature of the slot 8 is co-incident with the axis T of the pin 9 about which the bracket 4 is pivotable so that a pin 10 extending from the pressure control valve housing 3 may slide therein to permit the angle of the steering column 2 to be adjusted. To fix the column 2 in a given selected position, a lock mechanism 11 having a lock lever 12 is provided for manual operation by the driver. To permit the steering column to move relative to the instrument panel, a slot S is formed therein.
In the second arrangement (FIG. 2), the instrument panel housing 13 per se is adapted to be supported and movable with the column 2 and the bracket 4. With this arrangement, the bracket 4 supports the weight of the steering column 2, the instrument panel and associated housing 13.
However, both of these arrangements have suffered from the drawbacks that the distance between the axis T about which the steering column pivots and the steering wheel 1 is maximized which undesirably limits the range through which the column may be tilted and that an undesirably high load is placed on the locking mechanism 11 and stationary bracket 7 due to a relatively large mass (viz., the power steeing pressure control valve and valve housing and/or instrument panel and housing) being located at a distance from the axis of rotation T.